‘A good time to plan a vacation’: Highway closures set to snarl Portland traffic

With highway closures set to snarl traffic in Portland, it might just be a good time to take a vacation.

Overnight closures of Interstate 5 northbound to Interstate 84 eastbound started earlier this month. The Oregon Department of Transportation will again kick things up a notch starting July 8.

That’s when the ramp from I-5 south will be shut down to I-84 around the clock.

That closure will end two weeks later, but then it’s on to I-84 inbound. Starting July 25, the ramp from I-84 westbound to I-5 north will be shut down for two weeks.

Finally, on Aug. 17, the final part of the project begins, with the ramp from I-84 inbound closed to I-5 south.

The detour is the same in each case, with drivers advised to use I-405 to get around the construction.

It’s all part of a $6.5 million project that includes structural work and repaving.

While it will help extend the life of the bridges connecting I-84 to I-5, it will be a tough stretch for commuters.

“This is going to be a good time to try to find an alternative way to work. Take mass transit, carpool, find an alternate route, work from home, or it might even be a good time to plan a vacation,” said ODOT spokesman Don Hamilton.

It’s important for drivers to remember that even if they don’t use these main arteries through Portland, effects of the construction and closures will be seen all over town.